Beet harvester



Jan. 12, 1954 v. F. BOZEMAN, sR., ET AL 2,655,533

BEET HARVESTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed 001;. 7, 1944 N g- INVENTORS CLAUDE w. WALZ VIRGlL F. BOZEMAN,

HOWARD F. CLAUSEN TORNEYS ROBERT D GRIFF, 4 BY wwm 12, 1954 v. F. BOZEMAN, SR,,- ET AL 2,665,533

BEET HARVESTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Oct. 7, 1944 vow INVENTORS CLAUDE W. WALZ BY HOWARD F CLAUSEN ATTORNEYS m Q VIRGIL F.

ROBERT D. GRIFF Jan. 12, 1954 v. F. BOZEMAN, sR ET AL 2,665,533

BEET HARVESTER Original Filed Oct. 7, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS VIRGIL F. BOZEMAN, CLAUDE W. WALZ ROBERT D. GRIFF, HOWARD F. CLAUSEN BY M ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 12, I 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BEET HARVESTER Original application October 7, 1944, Serial No. 557,696. Divided and this application January 5, 1949, Serial No. 69,338

3 Claims. (Cl. 55106) This application is a. division of our co-pending application, Serial No. 557,696, filed October 7, 1944, now U- S. Patent 2,470,211, issued May 17, 1949.

The present invention relates generally to agricultural machines, particularly to harvesters or combines especially adapted to handle and clean root crops.

The object and general nature of the present invention is the provision of a new and useful harvester for sugar beets and similar root crops, especially designed to top and lift the beets from the ground, clean them of adhering soil, automatically eliminate from the machine any clods or the like that would otherwise tend to pass through the machine with the beets, and lastly, to elevate the beets into a truck, wagon, or other means for direct delivery to the sugar beet mill. More particularly, it is an important feature of the present invention to provide a self-propelled machine or this type, which eliminates separate lifting and hand topping operations for opening up the land.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred construction, illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a self-propelled beet harvester or combine in which the principles of the present invention have been incorporated.

Figure 2 is a side view of the machine shown in Figure 1.

Figure 2a is a detail view of a part of the drive for the top pick-up drum and top conveyor.

Figure 3 is a rear view of the machine shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4. is a partial sectional view taken along the line 44 of Figure 3 and showing the forward chain of the clod separator unit and the beet spiking chain.

Referring first to Figure 1, the beet harvester of the present invention comprises a main frame I supported for movement on a pair of rear drive Wheels 2 and a pair of front steering wheels 3. The drive wheels 2 are supported at the lower portions of a pair of drive housings 5 upon which side bars 6 and I, forming a part of the frame I, are supported. A drive axle 8 connects the upper ends of the drive housings 5 and includes a differential unit II through which power from a motor I2 supported on the frame I, as by being mounted on a pair of cross bars I4 and I5, is delivered to the drive wheels 2. Between the differential II and the motor I2 is a gear change case and clutch unit I 1, controlled by a gear shift lever I8 and a clutch shaft I9. A propeller shaft 2| connects the transmission um't H with the pinion (not shown) of the differential unit II. It is to be noted that the motor I2 and associated parts are mounted well toward the left side of the machine, and the reason for this particular arrangement will appear later.

An operators station is carried by the main frame I, as through suitable supports 26, and by means of a steering wheel 27, mounted adjacent the operators station 25 and connected through steering mechanism 29 with the front steering wheels 3, the machine may be guided. The front end of the steering link 29 is connected through an arm 3| with one of the spindles 32 which carry the front steering wheels 3. A drag link 34 connects the two steering arms 35 of the front steeling wheels 3. The front end of the machine is supported on a front axle 31 for movement relative thereto about a longitudinal axis. To this end, connected between a cross bar M of the frame I and a front cross bar 42, is a pair of longitudinal frame bars 43 through which a pair of fore and aft spaced depending brackets 45 are fixed (Figures 1 and 2). These brackets 45 receive trunnions 46 that are carried by the central portion of the front axle 31 and are rockable in the brackets. Thus, passage of the machine over irregular terrain does not impose unnecessary strains or cause objectionable distortion of the frame I. Preferably, sleeves 41 are fixed to the ends of the front axle 31 to receive the front wheel spindles 32.

Carried by the front portion of the main frame I is topping and lifting mechanism indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 53, consisting essentially of a topping unit 48 and a beet lifting or pulling unit 49. The topping unit 48 is quite similar to the topping mechanism shown in U. S. Patent 2,433,799, issued December 30, 1947 to Claude W. Walz, Clarence T. Rasmussen and Howard F. Clausen, to which reference may be made if necessary. Briefly, the topping unit 48 includes two sets of fore and aft extending topping unit frame bars 5I and 52 connected together at their front ends by a transverse angle bar or frame member 53 and other transverse members (not shown) as needed and forming, in effect, a sub-frame movably suspended under the main frame I. By suitab e rollers (not shown) a laterally shiftable '3 top conveyor unit 55 is supported on the topping frame or sub-frame i-53 for transverse shifting movement relative thereto. The laterally shiftable top conveyor includes a laterally shiftable support 55 and a pair of endless chains 5'? and 58 carrying flights 59 and operating over sprockets 6! at each end of the top conveyor unit One set of sprockets is fixed to a drive shaft 82 which receives power from an actuating shaft 63 through a gear box (it. Also mounted on the topping frame 5I53 is a pair of pick-up drums 58, each having top engaging fingers 65. The topping frame 5I53 also carries a pair of pivoted topping knives II, each consisting of a generally U-shaped frame 12 carrying a forwardly curved topping knife '53 at its front end and pivoted, as at 74, at its rear end to depending brackets forming a. part of the topping frame. Pivoted to the front end of the topping frame is a finder unit '18 which through a pair lever arms I9 and linkage 8i, acts to control the position of the associated topping knife '53. There are two topping knives l3 and two finder units IS. The two pick-up drums B2 are mounted, relative to the associated knives i3, so that the fingers 69 move rearwardly and upwardly away from the knife and are disposed on both sides of the associated knife arms 72. The fingers 59 sweep away the tops cut by the knives i3 and carry them upwardly and rearwardly, and then forwardly and over the drums from which they are removed by stripper plates 83 (Figure 1) and forced onto the platform $5 of the transverse conveyor 55.

The topping unit 48 is supported for movement generally in a vertical direction relative to the main frame I by means that may be adjusted from the operators station'25 on the machine. As best shown in Figures 1 and 2, a pairof brackets 9! is fixed to the front side of the angle 53 and forms means whereby generally horizontally extending pull links 82 maybe connected between the topping frame and a front draft frame 9-4 carried by the main frame I. The front draft frame preferably consists of a pair of depending brackets-95 and a center depending bracket 96, the brackets receiving a transverse draft bar 98. A rockshaft mI is mounted for rockingmovement on the main frame and includes a pair of forwardly extending arms I02 which are connected by downwardly extending links I as with the front end of the topping frame iii-53, preferably through the brackets 91. Preferably, the rockshaft I!!! is supported for rocking movement in brackets I04 fixed to the frame angle ii. Centrally of the rockshaft Ifll, an arm its is fixed to the shaft ml and receives one end of a lift cylinder unit 107, the other end of which is anchored, as at 108 to a bracket fixed to an intermediate frame bar I09 that extends transversely of the machine and is fixed at its ends to intermediate longitudinal frame bars III and H2. The forward ends of the longitudinal frame bars III and H2 are fixed to the cross frame bar ll and at their rear ends to the cross frame bar i5. When fiuid under pressure, as will be described below, is directed into the cylinder unit 161, as through a hose H5, the arm IDS is swung rearwardly, which raises the lifting arms I82 and thus raises the front end of the topping unit. The rear end of the topping unit is lifted by means similar to that just described, namely, by a link III connected at its lower end with the rear angle N8 of the topping unit frame 5I--53. The upper end of the link forms the driving part of a clutch unit I34.

H1 is connected to an arm I I9 that forms a part of a bell crank I2I, the other arm I22 of which is formed as a sector 23 and is connected through a link I 24 with the forward central arm I06 that is operated by the cylinder I07. The arm I22 is connected by a pivot I25 with the rear end of the link I24 and the front end of the link I24 is connected by a pivot I27 with the upper end of the arm ms, as best shown in Figure 2.

The drive for the top conveyor and the pick-up drums 88 will now be described. A sprocket I3I (Figure 1) is fixed to the propeller shaft 2I rearwardly of the transmission unit I! and receives a driving chain I32 which at its other end is connected to a sprocket I53 which The latter includes a casing I35 enclosing a clutch mechanism (not shown) controlled by a lever I37, and a longitudinally extending shaft I38 extends through the casing I35. The front end of the shaft I 38 enters a casing MI and carries one gear of a set of bevel gears by which a transverse shaft I42 is driven. The shaft Hi2 extends laterally outwardly of the casing IGI and carries a sprocket I 33 over which a chain Hit is trained. The lower end of the chain I4 3 passes over one gear 5cm (Figure 2a) of a double sprocket gear 502, the other gear 593 of which receives one end of a chain :46, the rear end of which passes over one sprocket 53d of a double sprocket member 5% fixed to a transverse shaft Hi8 mounted in suitable bearings on the rear end of the topping frame 5I53, H8. Another chain I51 extends forwardly from the last mentioned double sprocket 565 and is trained around a sprocket 52 which forms a part of a reversing mechanism I55. The latter is arranged to drive the actuating shaft 63 either in one direction or the other and is controlled by a short lever I51 extending from the unit I55 and controlled by a rod i5l that extends to a point adjacent the operators station 25. According to the setting of the lever I57, the shaft 63 may be rotated in one direction or the other, and thus utilized for driving the top conveyor 59 in a direction to discharge the tops either at one side or the other side of the machine, as desired. Mechanism is also provided in the reversing unit I55 for controlling whether or not the shaft 63 will be actuated as a shaft to drive the top conveyor chains 57 and 58 or to shift the top, conveying unit 55 bodily in one direction or the other of the tractor. Generally, the mechanism to this end is of the same construction as shown in the abovementioned co-pending application and is controlled by a second lever Hi! to which a rod IE2 is connected and leads to a point adjacent the operators station 25. The left end of the shaft I48 on the topping frame carries a sprocket (not shown) over which a chain I63 is trained, the front end of the chain I63 serving to drive a sprocket I64 fixed to a shaft I65 to which the two pick-up drums 63 are fixed in any suitable manner. The rear end of the topping unit frame 5!, 52 is connected by a pair of links I65 which at their rear ends are pivoted to the shaft I48 and at their forward ends are pivoted on studs I61 carried by depending arms I15 fixed to the main frame bars 6 and I. The links I56 are arranged to be parallel to the links 92. The double sprocket about which the lower end of the chain M and the forward end of the chain I46 are trained, is mounted on the stud I81 carried by the right hand arm I15. Thus, the topping unit frame always moves into parallel positions, since the links I83 and H1 and thearms I02 and H8 are also parallel and of the same lengths, as shown in Figure 2.

At each side of the main frame the depending arm I15, fixed at its upper end to the associated frame bar, is apertured to receive the front ends of a pair of bails I16 and I11. The rear or central portions I16a of the bails I16 and I11 are formed to receive pivot clamps I18 by which the shanks I19 of lifting plows I8I are pivotally connected with the upper and lower bails I16 and I11. The tools at the right side of the machine, as shown in Figure 1, are mounted with their pivot clamps extending rearwardly from the adjacent portions of the bails I16 and I11 While the pivot clamps of the left tools I8I are mounted forwardly of the transverse portions of the associated bails, thereby providing for one set of tools being disposed offset laterally and forwardly with respect to the other lifting tools. The bails I16 and I11 are connected so that the lifting plows I8I remain in the same angular position with respect to the ground, moving into different parallel positions. A link I63 is connected at its lower end to the central portion I16a of the upper bail I16 and at its upper end is pivotally connected, as at I84, to one arm I85 of a bell crank I86 that is rockably mounted on the main frame of the machine. A link I88 is connected, as at I89, to the arm I90 of the bell crank I86 and extends forwardly and is pivotally connected, as at I8I, to an adjusting hand lever I32 pivoted, as at I 83, on the sector I23. Thus, the tools IBI may be raised and lowered with the topping unit whenever the cylinder I01 is actuated. However, by unlatching the hand lever I92, the position of the lifting tools I8I may be adjusted relative to the topping unit.

A pair of beet conveyors 28I and 282 are mounted on the rear end of the main frame and extend downwardly and forwardly therefrom to points adjacent the rear ends of the beet lifting plows I8I. These elevators or conveyors, one of which is somewhat longer than the other to accommodate the above-mentioned offset relation of the lifters, are adapted to be raised and lowered with the lifting plows by means of suitable connections (not shown) between the front ends of the conveyors and the lifting arm I85. Each of the above-mentioned beet conveyors 26I and 202 includes a conveyor chain 284 trained over rear sprockets that are mounted on a transverse shaft, the right end of which extends into a bevel gear case 205. The latter also receives the rear end of the drive shaft I38, and through bevel gears (not shown) mounted within the case 285, the shaft carrying the conveyor sprockets is driven from the shaft I38.

At the rear end a cleaning unit 2 I8 and a laterally swingable loading elevator or beet discharge elevator 2II are provided. An upwardly extending frame arch 2 I 3 is fixed at its lower end to the rear portions of the main side frame members 6 and 1 and is braced by forwardly extending rods 2 I4. As best shown in Figure 2, the rear portions of the main frame side members 6 and 1 are bent downwardly, as at 2I6 and then extend rearwardly, as at 2 I1. A laterally outwardly extending bar 22I is fixed at its inner end to the right portion of the vertical arch 2 I 3 and extends laterally outwardly therefrom. The frame mem ber 22I is supported by a tension rod 225. The frame member 22I is also braced by a strut 224 which extends upwardly and diagonally from the lower rear portion of the frame. A cross bar 1226 extends rearwardly from the'main bar 22I and at its rear end is fixed to a second diagonal brac point a rear cross member 229 extends trans-.

versely to the other side of the frame and thus connects the rear horizontal sections 2I1 of the main frame members 6 and 1. A second cross bar 23I is connected to the rear ends of the frame bars 6 and 1. As best shown in Figure 2, a shaft 235 is supported above the frame member 226 by suitable brackets or the like and serves to pivotally receive the upper end of a conveyor indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 231. The conveyor 231 includes an endless chain similar to a potato chain, indicated by the reference numeral 238, trained over sprockets on the shaft 235 at the upper end of the conveyor and at the lower end of the conveyor the chain 238 i trained over suitable idler sprockets. The conveyor unit 231 includes suitable side bars 238 and 2 (Figure 1) connected together at their lower ends by a cross bar 242. This end of the conveyor 231 may be raised and lowered, as will be explained in detail below. Normally, the lower end of the conveyor 231 is disposed well below the discharge ends of the two beet conveyors 28! and 282. A sprocket on the front end of the shaft 235 receives a chain which extends down wardly and laterally outwardly and is trained over a sprocket fixed to the front end of a shaft 245 which is mounted for rotation in brackets 241 fixed to the frame bars 226 and 228. A second sprocket 248 is fixed to the shaft 246 and receives a chain 249 that extends downwardly and laterally inwardly, being trained around a sprocket 25I fixed to a shaft 252 that is carried in a pair of brackets 253 and 253 suitably fixed to the main frame. A procket 254 on the front end of the shaft 252 receives a chain 255. A sprocket 266 on the rear end of the shaft I38 pro vides for delivery of power to the conveyor chain 238 and, through the rear portion of the shaft 246, to the cleaning unit 2I6 which will now be described.

The cleaning unit 2I8 includes a framework indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 2H and a plurality of cross frame structures 212, 213 and 214, all supported from a main, transverse bar 215 which at one end is connected to the left main longitudinal frame member 6, as best shown in Figure 1 and which at its other end extends laterally outwardly beyond the right hand main frame member 1. As best shown in Figure 3, the cross bar 215 is connected to the main frame member 1 by a vertical strut 218 and a horizontal member 219.

The cross frame structure 212 includes an outer strut 28I, a lower channel 282, the inner end of which is fixed in any suitable way to the main cross member 215. The lower end of the vertical member 218 is connected by a diagonal brace member 283 to the outer end of the strut 282, as best shown in Figure '2. A member 284 extends upwardly from the main frame member 215 and at its upper end is connected to an upper cross member which is made up of two angularly related sections comprising spaced apart portions 286 and 281 connected together by connecting webs 288. Each of the frame structures 212, 213 and 21-4 is similar to that just described.

Referring to the cross frame structure 213 of the cleaning unit, there is no diagonal member 283, but instead the plate 284 is connected, as by welding or the like, to the diagonal brace 12%. The outer cross frame structure 214, which is disposed laterally outwardly of the diagonal brace 228, is reenforced by a rod 29f that at its outer end is connected to the frame portion 286 of the cross frame structure 27 3, the upper end of the rod 29! being connected to the frame arch 2X3. A frame member 292 extends from the frame structure 2'12 laterally outwardly to the frame structure 214. An auxiliary frame member 255 extends from the inner frame structure 212 to another cross frame structure 296 which is carried by the main cross member 215 in a position well toward the left side of the machine, as just shown in Figure 1.

The mechanism f the cleaning unit 2m includes'two driven endless chain units 31H and 382 operating in conjunction with a stationary chain section 8&3 and a spiking section 3%. The endless chains iiili and 382 may be similar to or substantially the same as the elevator and conveyor chains described above, commonly known as potato chain. As best shown in Figure 2, the cleaning chain 352 is supported in a generally vertical position, being slightly inclined forwardly along its upper edge. The chain 382 is supported in that position by upper and lower sprockets around which the chain is trained, the sprockets being fixed to shafts 353% journaled in bearings 33? carried by the right-hand cross frame structure 2M and the associated lower channel 282. Preferably, the lower bearing is supported by the channel 282 through a bracket 388. The support for the other end of the chain 362 is of similar construction, the upper bearing for the left-hand shaft 305 being carried by the cross frame structure 212 and the lower bearing being supported by the associated channel 282.

The stationary length of potato chain 303 is disposed in a generally vertical plane, inclined I rearwardly, however, to about the same extent that the plane of the chain 382 is inclined forwardly. The stationary chain (.63 is fastened at its outer end to the right-hand cross frame structure 27 i and at its inner end to a bar 31 i. The latter is connected at its upper end through an angle 382 that extends laterally outwardly to the cross frame structure 2M, and at its lower end the bar 3! l is connected to a channel 3|3 which is carried by the main cross frame member 215. Immediately inwardly of the stationary chain 2523 is the endless chain Sill. This chain is supported by sprockets 3l5 and 35% supported on shafts carried by the cross frame structures 222 and 273. The plane of the chain 35! is disposed generally vertically, being inclined rearwardly like the plane of the chain 303.

Operating within the front chain 362 is a spiking chain 32!. This chain includes an endless element 322 carrying spikes 323 and trained over idler sprockets 32d mounted on the left hand shaft 3%. Suitable guiding structure is provided for the spiking chain, and the latter is trained over driving sprocketsEZB supported on an auxiliary shaft 33! and driven by a chain 332 from a sprocket on the outer shaft 36$, The supporting and guiding structure for the spiking chain includes a pair of bars 338 which are shaped, as best shown in Figure 4, to cause the spikes to be projected outwardly between the links of the chain 352 and to move with the latter through what might be termed a spiking zone, as best shown in Figure 4. The bars 338 are then, considering the direction of travel of the chains 382 and 32!, parallel with respect to the chain 302 and are'disposed close-to the path of travel of the latter so that the spikes 323 project an appreciable distance outwardly beyond the links of the chain 302. This forms what might be termed a separating zone, inasmuch as the spikes impale beets thereon but if any clods are present the spikes break up the'clods by cracking or fracturing them. Beyond the separating zone the bars 338 are'shaped to form a stripping zone, during which the spikes 323 are gradually withdrawn to points within the chain 3%. This causes the beets to be stripped from the spikes 323.

The mechanism for driving the chains 35H, 392 and 32! will now be described. As best shown in Figures 2 and 3, the shaft 24s is extended rearwardly and is supported by suitable bearing means 34! on the outer cross frame structure Z'l l. The shaft 246 carries a bevel gear 352 which meshes with a companion gear 343 carried at the upper end of the laterally outer shaftStB. The gears 3% and 363 thus drive the chain 392. As described above, the chain 332 drives the spiking chain 321 from the outer shaft 3&5. A sprocket is fixed to the rear end of the shaft 2% and receives a sprocket chain 346 which extends laterally inwardly and is trained over a sprocket 3 3i fixed to a shaft 348 that is supported on the cross frame structure 213. Through a set of bevel gears similar to the gears 34 2, 3 33 described above, the shaft 343 drives the chain 3%.

The loading elevator 2H includes a swingable section 35: and a hopper section 352, as best shown in Figure 3. The hopper section comprises a generally circular hopper S53 and bearing means 354 upon which the swingable elevator section '35! is pivotally mounted. The hopper 353 is supported for movement about a generally vertical axis upon suitable bearings 35% carried by the rear frame extensions 2 l i. Coincidental with the axis of swinging movement of the hopper 352 is a drive shaft 35'! carrying a bevel gear 358 that meshes with a pinion 359, fixed to the outer end of a shaft 36f, the inner end or forward end of which carries a sprocket receiving a drive chain 352 that is trained at its upper end over a sprocket carried by the shaft 252 (Figure 2). The bevel gear 358, which may be loosely mounted on the shaft 35?, serves to drive a third bevel gear 385 fixed to a short shaft 36! to the outer end of which a sprocket receiving a chain 3.58 is fixed. The chain 368 serves to drive a sprocket 3'69 that is fixed to a shaft 31! which drives the chain 1V2 of the elevator 35! in the usual manner.

The outer or swinging end of the loading elevator 2 is supported by an adjustable cable mechanism 375' which will now be described. Extending convergingly rearwardly from the frame arch H3 is a pair of bars 315 disposed in a generally horizontal plane and reenforced by a pair of braces 317. The rear ends of the bars 316 are connected together and form a pivotal support for a horizontally swingable arm 319 which carries manually adjustable winch structure 38!. Cables 383 are connected to the outer end of the loading elevator 2H, as best shown in Figure 3, and to the winch structure 38 I. The latter includes an adjusting wheel 384 and a manually controlled latch 385 therefor, whereby releasing the latch 385 and turning the wheel 384 in one direction or the other serves to raise or lower the outer end of the loading elevator 25 l. The cables 383 pass over sheaves 386 carried at the outer end of the swinging arm 318. Formed as a part of the latter is an arcuate sector 388 which passes through latch means 389 carried by a hand-operated lever 39l which is swingable about the axis of bearing of the arm 319 in the supporting structure 316 therefor. The lever 39l extends to a point adjacent the operators station 25 on the machine and the lever may be moved back and forth, with proper actuation of the latching mechanism 333, to swing the arm 319 and the outer end of the loading elevator 2| 1 into any position desired, from one side of the machine around to the other side. This movement takes place about a vertical axis that coincides with the axis of swinging of the hopper 352 on its supporting framework 211 and associated parts.

As best shown in Figure 1, the chain 30! terminates at or adjacent the end of the separating zone so that there is an open space S at the end of the chain 30I and between the latter and the hopper 353. Downwardly through this space fall any clods that do not fall downwardly through the chains 363i and 302, but the beets are still held on the spikes 323 until they reach a point over the hopper 353. Then they are stripped from the spikes and allowed to fall directly into the hopper 353 from whence they are elevated into a loading container by the operation of the loading chain 312.

The operation of the machine as so far described is substantially as follows. The beets in two rows are topped by the knives 13 and the tops removed by the stripping drums 68 and transferred onto the top conveyor 55. The topped beets from the two rows are then loosened and lifted by the shoes i8! and moved by the conveyors 201 and 202 onto the lower receiving end of the cross conveyor 231. The beets, together with any clods that may pass over with the beets, are then shifted laterally outwardly and upwardly into a hopper 390 from whence the beets and clods are directed into the space between the chain 302 and the stationary chain 303. The chain 302 is driven, by the mechanism described above, and the function of the stationary chain is, cooperating with the moving chain 302, to roll the beets and agitate them to as to remove all adhering soil and break up any large clods that may possibly be present. The beets are thus moved by the moving chain 302 into the separating zone, which is defined by the two chains 30l and 302. These chains are driven at the same peripheral speed and during the progress of the chains the spikes 323 are projected laterally outwardly so as to impale thereon all of the beets in this zone. The clods do not become impaled on the points but are either cracked or entirely disintegrated by the action of the points. Most of the broken clods thus fall downwardly between the links of the chain, but any clods that are still too large to fall between the links of the chains are carried by the movement of the chains over to the space S from which they fall directly to the ground. However, the beets are all impaled on the points 323 and, as mentioned above, remain on the chain 302 until they are stripped therefrom and are deposited in the hopper 353.

Under favorable conditions, clods and objectionable quantities of adhering soil may not be present, in which case it may not be necessary to run the beets through the cleaning unit 210. In order to provide for running the beets directly from the conveyors 20l and 202 into the hopper 353, thus saving the wear and tear on the cleaning unit and likewise realizing a saving in the power required, we have provided an arrangement by which the left end of the conveyor 231 may be raised to a point above the discharge ends of the two conveyors and 202. According to the principles of the present invention, this may be performed quickly and easily by a winch structure 40! which includes cables 402 trained over sheaves or the like, as at 303, and connected at the lower end to the bail 242 at the left end of'the elevator 231. A latch 433 serves to hold the upper end of the conveyor 231 in either its upper or its lower position. When the receiving end of the conveyor 231 is raised into a position so that the beets from the conveyors 20| and 202 do not fall into it, a chute H0 (Figure 2) which is pivoted at 6| I on the main frame, is automatically brought up into a position to direct the beets directly from the discharge ends of the conveyors 20! and 202 into the hopper 353. The chute M0 is pivoted directly underneath the discharge ends of the conveyors 2M chain M2 to the swinging end of the conveyor 231, so that when the latter is raised up into its inoperative position, the chute M0 is automatically swung up into its operative position, the chute 410 being shown on its inoperative position in Figure 2.

The top conveyor 55 and the loading elevator 2!! may be disposed at either side of the machine, according to requirements of the particular field being harvested. Generally, it is desired to windrow the tops, that is, deposit into one row the tops from a plurality of rows being harvested, and it is, of course, necessary to run the trucks or wagons that receive the beets from the loading elevator 2 over portions of the field that either had been harvested or are sufficiently clear to accommodate the passage of the vehicles. The swingable mounting of the loading elevator 2H and the shiftable mounting of the top conveyor 55 easily and readily accommodates placing the tops and the trucks or wagons wherever necessary without interfering with the operationof the machine. As best shown in Figure l, the cleaning unit Zlil and the conveyor unit 231 extend laterally outwardly at the right side of the machine, and the motor I2 and associated parts, mounted on the left side of the machine, counterbalance the weight of the laterally outer portions of the units 213 and 231, and also the loading elevator 2H, in case the latter is swung over toward the right of the machine. It is a relatively simple matter for the operator to operate the winch Ml to raise and lower the cross conveyor 231 according to whether or not it is desired to run the beets through the cleaning unit 2H3. Preferably a clutch 450 is mounted on the shaft 246 (Figure 2) and is connected by a link 4'5! to some part of the vertically swingable conveyor 231, the parts being so arranged that when the left end of the conveyor 231 is raised into its inoperative position, the link i5| serves to automatically disengage the clutch 453. and thus prevent the drive being transmitted to the cleaning chains.

While we have shown and described above the preferred structure in which the principles of the present invention have been incorporated, it is to be understood that our invention is not to be limited to the particular details shown and described above, but that, in fact, widely different means may be employed in the practice of the broader aspect of our invention.

What we claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A beet harvester comprising a mobile frame, a topping frame, a plurality of means 1 mounted in parallel relation-'on'said mobile frame, depending arm means fixed-to said mobile frame, a rear pair of links connecting the rear end of said topping frame with the lower portion of said arm means, forward link means disposed generally parallel with said rear pair of links and connecting the forwardend of said topping frame with said mobile frame, apairotvertical- 1y spaced bail members disposed in parallelism and connected swingably. with said. depending arm means, cropengaginglifting means carried by said bails and raised andlowered with. the. latter, an arm means swingably mounted on said mobile frame in parallelism with. saidplurality. of arm means and connected with said bail memhere for raising and. loweringsaid lifting means with said conveyor frame.

2. A beet harvester asdefined in claim 1,.fur-

ther characterized byv said bails, having central,

sections extending transversely of the harvester, saidcrop engaging lifting means comprising a pair of lifting tools connected at the. rear. sides;

of the central portions of said bails-and a second pair of lifting tools at the other sides of the central portions of said bails and disposed forwardly, whereby the tools at one side ofsaid mobile frame are offset in a fore and aft direction with respect to the other tools.

3. In a two row beet harvester, a mobile frame adapted to pass over two plant rows, a pair of generallysvertically swingable bails pivotally. con:- nected with said frame and. each including a central section extending acrosstwo; plant rows, beet lifting. means for one of said rows carried by said bail sections atthe rear sideand adjacent one side. of the mobile. frame, and asecond beet lifting means carried by said bail sections at the forward sides thereof and adjacent the other side of said mobile frame.

VIRGIL F. BOZEMAN, SR;

CLAUDE W. WALZ.

ROBERT D.- GRIFF.

HOWARD F. CLAUSEN.

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